St. Cloud High Wrestler Takes Opponents To Mat

Osceola Sports - Athlete of the Week

"Usually, come weekends, me and my [six] dogs go to the woods to hunt wild hogs," said Chesnut, 18, a St. Cloud High School senior and the Osceola Sentinel athlete of the week.

Wild hogs got a reprieve this past Saturday. Chesnut was after bigger game -- a district championship. A four-year letter winner, he hogged the spotlight at the Class 3A, District 4 wrestling tournament by upsetting a wrestler he had lost to in three previous head-to-head encounters and won a career-first district crown.

University senior Robert Greene, twice this season and once a year ago, scored narrow decisions. Chesnut was determined it wouldn't happen again.

"I stood in front of the team Friday night and told them `hell or high water' I was going to be district champ" at 171 pounds, Chesnut said. "And that's what I did."

Chesnut's victory put St. Cloud into position for an eighth straight district team title, but a disqualification two matches later enabled University to capture an 11th consecutive district championship. Runner-up St. Cloud was 41/2 points back in the eight-school field.

Bruce Willis was Unbreakable. Chesnut isn't.

"I'm in the training room every day," he said. "I've broken my left ankle once, right ankle twice and sprained my right elbow. This year, I hurt my right wrist."

Chesnut looked every bit a gladiator as he strode onto the mat, his forehead covered by a strip of white bandage to protect a fresh cut. He trailed 2-1 and 3-2 before rallying to a 6-4 decision, his third victory of the day and a triumphant moment for Vic Lorenzano.

"Clark isn't slick or smooth," said St. Cloud's coach. "He's a brawler, a tough, hard-nosed kid with good technique who works hard. Clark was at his best Saturday. What he did was come after [Greene] from start to finish. He had one direction -- straight ahead. He had one speed -- all throttles full ahead."

That approach has worked well for Chesnut, who counts a Central Florida-best 23 pins -- one a lightning-like 12 seconds -- among 31 victories. He's equally proud that no opponent this season has pinned his shoulders to a mat.

A four-time University of Iowa summer wrestling camp veteran with years of USA Greco-Roman matches, "I'm always going for the pin," he said.

Strength is important but accounts for a percentage of Chesnut's pins.

"It's mostly experience and technique," he said. "I've been wrestling since seventh grade. I might be stronger than 60 percent of the competition, but 40 percent are stronger than I am."

Enter the X factor -- aggressiveness.

"It's the most aggressive sport there is," Chesnut said, "one where the only person you have to depend on is yourself."

That same go-for-broke attitude was a trait Chesnut employed to make a name for himself as a 5-foot-9, 187-pound defensive end on St. Cloud's football team for two years.

"I like defense," he said. "I'd rather hit someone that be hit. I love hitting."

And that lust for contact is reflected in Chesnut's attacking style as a wrestler. First, he had to cut 16 pounds to reach his prime weight, difficult at first but not once the season began.

Chesnut is probably too small to play end at the college level and, so far, out-of-state wrestling programs haven't called either.

"My options are open," said Chesnut, whose career choices have been narrowed to teaching or fighting fires.

"Since 9-11 I've come to believe that firemen are the real heroes in America," he said. "And saving lives seems like a good job."